Nagorno-Karabakh: Grief and Dislocation

Arsen Arushanyan, who lives in Drmbon, lost both legs when he stepped on a mine left over from the war.

The early April burst of fighting offered a stark reminder of the unfinished businesses surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. As this photo essay highlights, many civilians who endured the hot phase of the conflict, lasting from 1988-1994, have not been able to escape a sense of loss.

The intensive period of warfare over two decades ago left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. The early April fighting added to those totals.

Thousands of individuals on both sides are still living in makeshift dormitories, amid sub-standard conditions. All around the disputed territory, roads and other infrastructure remain in a state of disrepair. Private citizens are wary about expending precious savings to improve property, given that, as the early April fighting demonstrated, a day’s fighting can wipe out a decade’s worth of effort.

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Anahit Hayrapetyan is a freelance photojournalist based in Berlin and Yerevan.